THAILAND: RUGBY UNION - New Zealand rugby team join in Thailand Elephant Polo King's cup

Record ID: 185014

  • Title: THAILAND: RUGBY UNION - New Zealand rugby team join in Thailand Elephant Polo King's cup
  • Date: 6th September 2011
  • Summary: AUDIENCE WATCHING VARIOUS OF ELEPHANT POLO
  • Embargoed: 21st September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand, Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8W1ER1OJSD1UAUA3MFOBNP5NY
  • Story Text: A rugby team from New Zealand has taken part in the 2012 King's Cup Elephant Polo in the Thai resort town of Hua-Hin, 300 kilometres south of Bangkok on Tuesday (September 6).
    As their colleagues at home prepare for the Rugby World Cup, this team prepared for their pachiderm polo debut after a traditional Haka- the Maori dance.
    For a beginner, it is quite hard for the player to control an elephant.
    "It's very interesting. I liked it. It's fun but it's very interesting. It's hard to control the elephants to do what we want to do. I think that's the hard part," said Charles Riechelmann, a professional rugby player from New Zealand but first-time elephant polo player.
    And sometimes elephants can go unexpectedly naughty and don't want to play.
    "The game was good except for elephants issue. My elephant sat down in the middle of the game, so we have to change. My other friend's elephant decided to attack another elephant, so we have to change again. This is what fun about elephant polo, not like horse polo," said Chitra Mepburn, Captain of the Spice Girl team, the only girl team in the tournament.
    According to the rules, if the elephant doesn't enjoy playing, they have to change as they want the elephant to be enjoying itself, too.
    The rules in elephant polo are similar to the game played on horses, with only a few things setting them apart.
    Three elephants are allowed on to the 100 by 60 metres ground with two people on each elephant - a player and a mahout, an elephant driver.
    The elephants are not allowed to lie in front of the goal posts or use their trunks to catch the ball. If they do either, they commit fouls, earning the opposing team the free hit.
    Elephant polo in Thailand was first launched in Hua-Hin in 2001, and the tournament moved to the golden triangle in 2006.
    Proceeds from the event will go to organisations dealing in elephant welfare in Thailand.
    The week-long tournament in Thailand runs from September 5 until 11.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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